Martinez to Star in Fox’s Drama Pilot “Behind Enemy Lines”

Benito Martinez is facing an Enemy

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor will star in Fox’s drama pilot Behind Enemy Lines, loosely based on the 2001 movie, in a recasting.

Benito Martinez

Written by Nikki Toscano and directed by McG, Behind Enemy Lines is described as a military soap thriller wherein a group of U.S. soldiers find themselves trapped behind enemy lines. It closely follows our soldiers on the ground and the officers and service men and women on a nearby aircraft carrier, along with intelligence officers in D.C. as they attempt to bring our heroes home safely and under the radar.

Martinez will play Mateo Rodriguez, a respected career Navy man and Executive Officer on the aircraft carrier USS Tyson. He replaces Nestor Carbonell, who originally was cast in the role. The decision was made after the Thursday table read, with the character getting slightly reconceived.

The pilot’s cast includes Marg HelgenbergerB.J. Britt, Gabriel Chavarria, Melia Kreiling, Colm Feore, Willa Fitzgerald and Dylan Bruno.

Martinez, an alum of The Shield, is doing a major arc on the current third season of ABC’s American Crime after co-starring in the first installment and guest starring in the second.

He’s finishing production on the Menendez Brothers movie for Lifetime. Martinez, who worked opposite Tom Cruise on the crime thriller American Made and had recurring roles on How to Get Away with Murder and The Blacklist.

Behind Enemy Lines hails from 20th Century Fox Television — whose feature sibling was behind the movie — studio-based Temple Hill and Davis Entertainment.

Martinez to Star in Lifetime’s Original Movie About the Menendez Brothers

Benito Martinez has landed a father of a role…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor is set to star in Lifetime’s original movie about Lyle and Erik Menendez’s infamous double-murder case.

Benito Martinez

Based on the true story, the movie explores the inner lives and motivation behind the murders of entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Kitty at the hands of their sons Lyle and Erik in 1989. In the months that followed the killings, Lyle and Erik spent their inheritance lavishly, adding to investigators’ suspicions that they were involved in the parents’ deaths. After months of guilt consumed Erik, he confessed to the murders to his psychologist, leading to the eventual arrests of him and older brother Lyle.

Their Los Angeles trial became a national sensation as the public devoured court testimony and the brothers testified that the murders were driven by a lifetime of sexual abuse by their father. After a mistrial and deadlocked jury, the brothers were later re-tried and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Erik and Lyle remain incarcerated today, serving their time in separate prisons nearly 30 years since murdering their parents.

Martinez will portray Jose Menendez, while Nico Tortorella (Younger) and Myko Olivier will play brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, respectively. They join previously announced Courtney Love, who plays mother Kitty Menendez.

Martinez’s credits include American Crime, Sons of Anarchy, Supernatural and Saving Grace.